observe
Plural: observes
Verb
Verb Forms: observed, observing, observes
- To notice or perceive something; to watch carefully.
- discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
- make mention of
- "She observed that his presentation took up too much time"
- observe with care or pay close attention to
- watch attentively
- "Please observe the reaction of these two chemicals"
- show respect towards
- behave as expected during of holidays or rites
- "Observe Yom Kippur"
- follow with the eyes or the mind
- stick to correctly or closely
- conform one's action or practice to
- To notice or view, especially carefully or with attention to detail.
- To follow or obey the custom, practice, or rules (especially of a religion).
- To take note of and celebrate (a holiday or similar occurrence), to keep; to follow (a type of time or calendar reckoning).
- To comment on something; to make an observation.
Noun
- An observation (remark, comment or judgement).
Examples
- Always observe your opponent’s rack, anticipating their next Scrabble move.
- From this vantage point we can observe the behavior of the animals in their natural habitat.
- Please observe all posted speed limits.
- She got up before dawn to observe the lunar eclipse.
- The senator observed that the bill would be detrimental to his constituents.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle French observer, from Old French observer, from Latin observō (“to watch”), from ob- (“before”) + servō (“to keep”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to guard”). Cognate with Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰 (sarwa, “weapons, armour”), Old English searu (“device”).
Synonyms
abide by, celebrate, detect, discover, find, follow, honor, honour, keep, keep an eye on, maintain, mention, note, notice, remark, respect, take note, watch, watch over
Antonyms
Scrabble Score: 12
observe: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordobserve: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
observe: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary